Taco Hats and Reese Witherspoon

More fun from the road

My almost 7 year old decided that a 4:30am wakeup call for a 5am pick up for a 6am train was a teeeeensy bit too chill and climbed in my bed at 3am. Awesome! But I somehow made it to Penn Station and then to Baltimore and then to Mt. Airy, where I got to do a storytime for a gaggle of kids and their grown-ups. Children’s librarians are the best. Sara and AJ took great care of me, and AJ asked a question about hats that prompted a lengthy soliloquy about Joey McIntyre which I feel sure the children loved.

After that I got to hang with the adorable Sarah and a huge room of kids. Note Sarah’s hat earrings! And you can barely tell that I’m delirious and exhausted. The kids were terrific and told me all about their cats. After this joyous moment, I went straight to the Baltimore airport, where I explored for about, oh, six hours. What did I do for six hours? So glad you asked! Did I pay $15 to rent a 2022 New Kids on the Block concert video with guest stars Rick Astley, Salt n Pepe, and En Vogue? I won’t tell you. But what I will say is that Rick Astley looks truly great nowadays, and still sounds great, and you should listen to his episode on the excellent podcast Song Exploder. When I finally got to my hotel in Atlanta it was almost 11pm, and I quickly passed out listening to the audiobook of my sister Ann’s book Bel Canto. Whew! Picture book tours! Not for the faint of heart!

Thursday started with a bang, which is to say, the very very very very cute Erin in a taco hat. When I am next a small child, I would like to attend her school. (It feels weird to name the schools, and so I won’t, but if you are pregnant and live in Decatur, holler at me for my opinions.)

After that, we went to the Little Shop of Stories, where I have just submitted a job application. Here’s why: their store is filled with priceless works of art and the friendliest booksellers. Here are examples of both!

Heather, Hannah, me, Justin and Diane.

Strega MF Nona. I mean!!!!!

Always nice to see my friends! Hi again, Adam and Daniel!

After three school visits and a story time where one nice woman let me throw her extremely cute baby into the air, it was back to the airport. The sky is very Dorothy-Gale’s-House-is-about-to-spin, so who knows when we’ll ever take off, but if I really do make it to Houston tonight, I will be the arms of my true love, Cathy Berner of Blue Willow, and all will be well.

Oh wait! I promised you Reese! If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you may remember when I got to do a cameo in the new Aline Brosh McKenna movie starring Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher. Well, good news! The movie, Your Place Our Mine, is out on Netflix so soon, and there’s a trailer and…..I’m in it. Keep your eye out for a tiger print jacket!!!! I am seen here in deep conversation with novelist Amanda Brainerd, my friend who I met….making this movie. They say that trauma bonds people together but you know what? So does being in a Reese Witherspoon movie.

Here’s the full trailer.

More anon!